It’s no secret we all strive for that “perfect” look. You know the one: the itty bitty waist, the shapely hips, the bubble butt, and big boobs. And it’s no secret we will go to great lengths to achieve it, no matter the cost.
The latest trend, mostly endorsed by big name celebrities such as the Kardashians and Lindsay Lohan, can leave short-term health risks so great they can take months to correct and long-term mental risks that could lead to an obsession with body image and a greater chance of developing an eating disorder. The waist trainer, supposed to help slim and shape your waist, jumps back a few centuries to the corset style. The tighter the corset, the smaller your middle. Sounds great, right?
Well, only if you like rearranging your organs.
According to one E! News Online article, the trend can cause the lower intestines to be pushed into the pelvic area, which in addition to compressing the diaphragm, can cause kidney, gastrointestinal, and lung problems. On top of that, the tighter the corset gets, the higher the chances of skin infection and scarring get.
So, let’s break it down: waist training has been thought of as an “external gastric bypass surgery” – because your stomach becomes so compressed, there’s no possible way you can take more than a few bites of food at one sitting. Granted, it might sound like a good idea to lose weight because you surely can’t gain weight if you’re forced to not eat as much, right? However, the food you are able to eat has a harder time digesting due to the pressure on your organs.
Helloooo, acid reflux.
Unfortunately, as many women seem to believe, this trend cannot change the structure of your ribcage. Once you reach a certain age, bones have already been formed. No amount of corset tightening will change the size or shape of them, but it can bruise and possibly break them.
Still want to try this trend?
On top of all that, wearing a waist trainer for a lengthy amount of time can make it difficult to breathe. It can lead to shallow breaths which creates a shortage of oxygen in your blood and can cause a loss of consciousness and a greater risk for fluid in the lungs. It can then lead to pulmonary edema or even pneumonia.
In one Yahoo! Health article, Holly Phillips, MD, a New York City-based internist, quotes “you’re not able to take a deep breath, you’re not able to digest food, and it can cause acid reflux. Certainly wearing any overly tight garment is overkill.”
This trend, while satisfactory in looks on the outside, only provides a short-term solution to a long-term problem. The waist trainer does not make the extra weight suddenly disappear. The weight is still there – just in a different position on your body. If and when the corset ever ceases to be worn, your body will eventually return to its figure before. The only real solution to “whittling your middle” is exercise and healthy eating patterns. I understand the desire for a smaller middle and the “perfect” body, but when will we stop putting our bodies through such horror?
Featured image via Nick Bondarev on Pexels
